Veronica Castello

Veronica Castello was an Italian television actress and Forza Italia politician. She was also known to be the mistress of Milan industrialist Michele Mainaghi, Lega Nord MP Pietro Bosco, advertising agent Leonardo Notte, and several television figures.

Biography
Veronica Castello was born in Milan, Italy, the daughter of an experimental theater actress, and the sister of journalist Giulia Castello. As a young girl, she experimented often with sex, and she soon gained a reputation as a promiscuous, "easy-to-get" girl at school. Castello then became a showgirl, and she worked as a prostitute at the Prince of Savoy Hotel, where she met the businessman Michele Mainaghi. She became his high-end mistress, and he showered her with money, also working towards getting her a television role. Unfortunately for her, Mainaghi hanged himself in 1992 after being condemned to house arrest for his role in the Tangentopoli scandal, so Castello instead found refuge with advertising agent Leonardo Notte. Castello fell in love with Notte and was a good friend of his teenage daughter, Viola, but Notte later introduced her to an elderly television executive and left her, saying that he did not want to ruin their relationship (as his previous ones had all dramatically failed). Castello was forced to return to using her body to become a social climber, temporarily landing a film role. However, she left the executive after the film role was revealed to be a small part, as the executive knew that she couldn't act.

After leaving the executive, Castello was taken in by Lega Nord MP Pietro Bosco, whom she had briefly met at a restaurant while she was still in an affair with Mainaghi. They lived together in a Rome apartment, and Bosco fell in love with her, although Castello only wanted him to land her a television role. She briefly left him to go to Montecarlo with Publitalia '80 businessman Lucio Corradi, but, before she could meet Silvio Berlusconi in order to advance her film career, she decided to leave with Bosco, who surprised her by telling her that he had gained a television role for her. The two continued their affair, and Castello became pregnant. Bosco was intent on raising a family, but Castello frequently had doubts about this, as she wanted to continue her television career. She decided to have an abortion without Bosco's consent, leading to an infuriated Bosco choking her until she nearly died. A frightened Castello left him for good, returning to her television career.

Castello became a cocaine user despite her success, and she later started an affair with VIP Mania journalist Davide Corsi. She was injured in the Via Fauro attack on 14 May 1993, and she had an affair with the Rai manager in order to ensure that she would stay on TV despite her injuries. She later started a "second life" with Corsi, and her high-profile image led to her running for the Chamber of Deputies as a Forza Italia deputy in 1994.